China will send more young volunteers abroad this year than it has since 2002 when the first group ventured out.

Some 200 volunteers will be sent to developing countries in Asia, Africa and, for the first time, to Latin America.

"Since the first batch of five went to Myanmar in 2002, we have sent a total of 109 volunteers to Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Ethiopia," Wang Xuefeng, an official with the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, said at a press conference in Beijing yesterday.

The volunteers provide services such as Chinese language lessons, computer skills and agricultural technologies training, as well as sports training and traditional Chinese medicine treatment.

Their hard work has so impressed these countries that they have asked for more volunteers, Wang said. "Ethiopia alone asked us to send volunteers for more than 300 positions this year. They need in excess of 1, 000 volunteers."

The Ministry of Commerce, which has been in charge of the program since last year, said the first batch of about 100 would head for Laos before the end of the month, and 60 for Ethiopia next month.

Recruitment for the Ethiopia project is scheduled to start today. "Chinese citizens between the ages of 20 and 35 with a college diploma and above are all welcome to sign up at hwfw.youth.cn," Wang announced.

"This year we will also send volunteers to Cambodia, and Zimbabwe, and Guyana for the first time," said Sai Danxia, an official with the ministry.

The ministry covers travel expenses, pays a monthly allowance of US$200 and provides medical and accident insurance.

(China Daily September 6, 2006)